A 14-year-old boy suffered a scald injury on a Ryanair flight to Greece after hot tea spilled on his right foot, the Circuit Civil Court heard. Judge Sinéad McMullan was told that cabin crew did not provide immediate assistance, leaving the boy’s father to bring him to the toilet and cool the burn with water.
Cabin staff later arrived with a small cooling patch and a bottle of burn lotion. The boy’s mother, Laura Warde, was also burned during the same incident. She claimed a call was made for help from medically trained passengers because only qualified personnel could access a second medical kit.
As no passenger came forward, neither the boy nor his mother received additional cooling patches or extra lotion. Ryanair arranged for an ambulance to meet the family on arrival in Greece, and the boy was treated at a local hospital, where his burn was cleaned and medicated.
Barrister Ciaran Mandal said the injury significantly affected the boy’s holiday, as he was unable to swim for the entire week, which caused him considerable distress. When he returned home, his GP confirmed he had sustained a healing second-degree burn.
Medical reports confirmed the boy has not been left with any permanent scarring. Ryanair later offered a €20,000 settlement for his injury.
Judge McMullan approved the €20,000 payment, calling it a fair resolution. A separate €60,000 damages claim by the boy’s mother was previously struck out on consent.